Japanese Man Claims 12 Years of Sleeping Just 30 Minutes a Day

For decades, people have sought ways to combat aging, and one man in Japan has taken a particularly extreme approach. Daisuke Hori claims he has been sleeping just 30 minutes a day for the past 12 years in order to gain more time for his rigorous training routine, which includes 16 hours a week at the gym.

Hori asserts that despite his minimal sleep, his health remains unaffected because he has trained his brain and body to function normally with such little rest. Remarkably, he insists he never feels fatigued.

While conventional wisdom suggests that eight hours of sleep per night is essential for optimal health, Hori’s lifestyle challenges this notion. He gradually reduced his sleep hours, eventually settling at just 30-45 minutes per day.

According to Hori, the key to staying awake and alert is engaging in physical activity or drinking coffee an hour before eating, which he says helps stave off drowsiness. He emphasizes that the quality of sleep is more important than the quantity, using doctors and firefighters as examples of professionals who remain highly efficient despite limited rest.

Hori’s belief is that those who require sustained focus in their work benefit more from high-quality, shorter sleep than from longer sleep durations. He argues that people in demanding jobs, like doctors and firefighters, are able to maintain their efficiency with less sleep.

About eight years ago, Hori founded the Japan Short Sleepers Training Association, where he teaches others how to manage on minimal sleep. He claims to have trained over 2,100 students to become ultra-short sleepers. Japan’s Yomiuri TV followed him for a reality show over three days, during which they observed him waking up fully refreshed after just 26 minutes of sleep.

One of Hori’s students shared that she has reduced her sleep from eight hours to just 90 minutes over the past four years and insists that this change has not negatively impacted her physical or mental health—in fact, she feels and looks better than ever.

Hori’s unconventional sleep habits have sparked debate on social media. Some people admire his ability and are eager to learn the art of sleeping less, while others worry that such a regimen could ultimately strain the heart.

Medical professionals generally recommend seven to nine hours of sleep per night to allow the body and brain to recover and to reduce the risk of heart disease.